LAUSR

Abstract A bottom-up geometrical model is established to investigate the mechanical properties of the cable-in-conduit conductors (CICC) superconducting cables for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). A compact method is formulated to develop the uncompact problems during the construction of the third-stage and fourth-stage strands. Based on the homogenization theory and Costello’s wire rope theory, an analytical model is provided to predict the effective Young’s moduli of the hierarchical superconducting cable. The finite element calculations are performed to analyze the same situation. The numerical results agree well with the results from the analytical model. It is found that the effective Young’s moduli are a function of winding laps for various stages of the strands. This work helps to understand the mechanical properties of the hierarchical superconducting cable and also provides optimal design for higher stage strand.